i ro ha ni ho he to
ti ri nu ru wo
wa ka yo ta re so
tu ne na ra mu
u wi no o ku ya ma
ke hu ko ye te
a sa ki yu me mi si
we hi mo se su
いろはにほへと
ちりぬるを
わかよたれそ
つねならむ
うゐのおくやま
けふこえて
あさきゆめみし
ゑひもせす
イロハニホヘト
チリヌルヲ
ワカヨタレソ
ツネナラム
ウヰノオクヤマ
ケフコエテ
アサキユメミシ
ヱヒモセス
NB: old Japanese, so h≈f, む≈ん old ti, tu, si, ye > modern chi, tsu, shi, e, and other changes.
Modern:
iro wa nioedo
chirinuru o
wa ga yo tare zo
tsune naran
ui no okuyama
kyô koete
asaki yume miji
yoi mo sezu
Translation by Ryuichi Abe:
Although its scent still lingers on
the form of a flower has scattered away
For whom will the glory
of this world remain unchanged?
Arriving today at the yonder side
of the deep mountains of evanescent existence
We shall never allow ourselves to drift away
intoxicated, in the world of shallow dreams.
2022 – index